Kajal - The harmful effects of kajal on the eyes

Kajal & Surma are traditional Indian ingredients to makeup those beautiful eyes. Originally "kajal" did not start as a makeup but as a home remedy medication. Zinc, copper sulfate and many medicinal herbs were important ingredients which had definite action on eye infections. In olden days Trachoma, conjunctivitis, corneal ulcer and other blinding infections were very common in Noth India and this part of Asia. Medical aid & medicines were not easily available or were out of reach of most. In that scenario kajal had relevance & played the role of protecting the eyes as our great grandnmothers propogated.

The constituents of kajal were selected emperically or on hearsay. The methods of preparing kajal were were crude & there was no way to define the concentration of each consituent & its actual effect on the eye. This remains the case till date.

Today witgh the availability of good drugs in precise concentration and well researched effects on the eyes & the disease that they are meant for, "kajal" looses it's relevance & role. However, kajal continues to be used widely by females as a beauty enhancer.

Kajal can have adverse effects on the eyes. Some of them are listed below:

• Conjunctivitis - chemical, toxic & infective
• Allergy
• Toxicity / Chemical Reaction
• Meibomitis
• Stye & Hordeolum - infections of the glands of the eye lids
• Corneal ulcer - which can potentially lead to blindness
• Uveitis - certain chemicals in kajal can incite inflammation inside the eye
• Glaucoma - some constituents  can increase eye pressure leading to glaucoma
• Dry Eye - regular use of kajal can be assiciated with scarring of tear / lacrimal glands causing dry eye syndrome
• Conjunctival discoloration

It advisable to altogether avoid use of kajal / surma or any makeup that goes inside the eye. The makeup that remains out side e.g. eye-liner, eye-shadow, mascara, etc. are alright to be used but should be meticulously removed at the end of the day. During the period of any eye infection, injury, surgery, etc. no eye makeup should be used.

Eyes are precious and very beautiful even without any makeup, we should take good care of them.

Dr. Sanjay Dhawan
Senior Eye Surgeon
New Delhi / Gurgaon, India

More about eye diseases & their treatment at sdhawan.com